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Can We Learn from History?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2014

Bent Sørensen*
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The development of energy use in Northern Europe is investigated, with an emphasis on the region that some 13–1400 years ago became Denmark, and by using evidence from archaeological finds, climate science and written documents from more recent periods. The role of energy technology in permitting changes in society and – together with changes in food provision technologies – in allowing sustainable living for an increasing population, is demonstrated, with possible lessons relevant for the present debate on handling the required energy, economy and environmental management transitions. The author's recent book A History of Energy (Routledge, Cambridge 2011) is used as a reference.

Type
Sea, North, History, Narrative, Energy, Climate: Papers from the 2012 Academia Europaea Bergen Meeting
Copyright
Copyright © Academia Europaea 2014 

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References

1.Sørensen, B. (2011) A History of Energy (Cambridge: Earthscan/Routledge).Google Scholar
2.Sørensen, B. (2011) A History of Energy (Cambridge: Earthscan/Routledge), p. 448.Google Scholar
3.Sørensen, B. (2011) Life-cycle Analysis of Energy Systems (Cambridge: RSC Publishing).Google Scholar
4.Smidt, E. (1971; 1974) Perspektiv Plan I, II (Copenhagen: Danish Department of Finance).Google Scholar
5.Bennike, P. (1993) Menneskene. In: S. Hvass and B. Storgaard (eds) Da klinger i muld (Århus: Aarhus Universitetsforlag), pp. 3439.Google Scholar